El Caño Archaeological Park

El Caño was a ceremonial centre of the Coclé culture from around the eighth century, marked by rows of stone columns and a burial ground where excavations from 2008 onwards uncovered elite graves containing gold breastplates, arm cuffs and ornaments alongside multiple bodies interred together. Work continues each season. A small museum on site shows finds and explains the excavation, and the stone alignments stand in the open. The columns were first recorded in the 1920s by an American expedition whose methods stripped much of the site before modern work began.

History

El Caño was occupied from about 100-400 BC until the Spanish arrived; in 1925 the American Alpheus Hyatt Verrill found the stones, and systematic excavations began in 1926. Renewed work led by Julia Mayo from 2005 uncovered, between 2008 and 2011, a necropolis of high-status burials from about 700 to 1000 AD, among them a cacique's tomb of around AD 900 rich in gold breastplates, bracelets and pendants (Wikipedia, El Caño Archaeological Park).

What to look for

• The stone alignments - the rows of columns marking the ceremonial ground.
• The elite burials - graves with gold ornaments excavated from 2008 onwards.
• The site museum - the finds and the account of the excavations.
• The ongoing work - the digs that continue each season.

When to go

December to April is drier and more comfortable. The site keeps daytime hours and closes some days. Excavation seasons vary.

Good to know

Most of the gold is held elsewhere and the site museum shows a limited selection. The visible remains are modest and the interpretation is largely in Spanish. Excavation areas may be closed.

Nearby

Natá is nearby, and Penonomé is east.

Key facts